Shoe rack



Dec. 22, 1931. H. GLIDDEN SHOE RACK Filed June 27, 1929 m the highp'a-rts of the toes ofthe shoes will Patented Dec. 22 1931 UNITED is"TA -Q PATIENT o rrlcs HARVEY I. GLIDDEN, 0F LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY conronn'rron, orlrnrnnson,

JERSEY snon RACK Application filed June 27,

This invention relates to shoe racks such as are used to carry shoes from one part of a factory to another and to hold shoes between operations performed upon them.

In order to economize in floor space and in the maintenance of shoe racks, it has become the practice in many shoe factories to utilize as far asis practicable racks which are equally well adapted for carrying shoes of each of the different kinds being manufactured and which are suitable foruse throughout most or all of the operations performed in shoemak-ing. A typical example of such a rack and one which has come into general use is that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,710,940, granted April 30, 1929 "bottom side up, a toe rest being provided to assist in positioning and supporting the foreparts of the shoes. The toe'rest can be selectively located, by means of grooves, in

different portions along the pins whereby it is possible to carry in the rack shoes of widely different sizes.

In carrying shoes upon racks which are provided with toe rests it is desirable not only to make use of rack constructionsfor carryng shoes of the diiferent sizes being manufactured but it is also desirable to sup port the shoes in such manner that-there will be no likelihood of injury to the shoes. In many racks as heretofore constructed the toe restsare positioned for engaging shoes of the average sizes of'a certain range of sizes which the manufacturer is making, the toe rest being so positioned that it will engage the'upper-of a shoe on'a last rearwardly of the high part of the toe where the material is not tightly pressed against the last and is therefore not likely to be injured by contact with the toe rest. However, considerable difficulty has been experienced because of the fact that shoes of the smaller sizes of a range of sizes carried by such a rack will tend to be carried in such position that 1929. Serial No. 374,215.

engage the toe rest and will be marred by the a l rubbing of the shoesover the rest as the rack is moved from place to place. On the other hand, shoes'of sizes larger than the average of the range of sizes will be engaged-at the.

instep by thetoe rest with the result that such shoes are not firmly supported on the rack and will fall upon their sides, thus increasing the likelihood of injury to the uppers of the shoes due to contact with adjacent shoes. This difiiculty is aggravated by the variation in the styles of foreparts of shoes which often makes it impossible properly to carryshoes o f' the same sizes but of different styles upon a rack without varying the position of thetoe rest. i

In view of the foregoing, it is an-object of the presentinvention to provide an improved shoe rack construction in which shoe-supporting and positioning members are ar- Y ranged for adjustment relatively to each other for carrying shoes of different ranges of sizes and in which said members are relatively adjustable properly to-position shoes of various styles or different sizes within the.

different ranges of sizes.

To this end, the lnvention provides 1n its illustrated embodiment an improved shoe track comprising shoe-supporting members,

anda toe restextending across the supporting members and having projecting portions for locating the toe rest in position along the pins, the projecting portions being offset from the center line of the toe rest so that the toe rest can be selectively located in position to support the foreparts of shoes of the smaller sizes or in postion to support the foreparts of shoes of the larger sizes. Preferably, theprojecting portions of the toe rest constitute tenons in the ends thereof which the 'toeirest can be adjusted inwardly or outwardly along the pins merely by turning the toe rest end for end in the locating grooves. Thus it will be seen that the invention provides not only for the carrying of shoes of Widely different sizes but also provides for 100 NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW 5 I adjustment of the toe rest for properly carrying shoes of the extreme sizes of the range of sizes as well as shoes which because of their peculiar shapes cannot be carried properly without some provision for adjustment of the supporting members.

These and other features of the invention comprising certain combinations and arrangements of parts will be understood from the following description of one embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a rack embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing in detail the end portion of a toe rest; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, showing a portion of the rack and illustrating the manner in which shoes are carried on the rack.

As shown in Fig. 1, the illustrated rack comprises bottom frame members 10 and vertical end frame members 12 secured together by means of braces 14 and 15, diagonals 16 and a tie rod 18. Secured to the vertical frame members 12 are Ushaped members 20 which carry a plurality of Wooden shelves generally indicated by reference character 22. These shelves comprise end frame members 24 connected to ether by means of a back rail 26 and a pinlaar 28. Secured to the upper surface of the pin bar 28 by screws 30 are a plurality of shoe-supporting members or pins 32, the pins adjacent the end frame members 24 being positioned in grooves 34 in the frame members. The construction thus far described constitutes a rigid frame carrying the shoe-supporting pins 32 and capable of movement on casters 36 carried by the lower portions of the frame members 10.

The pins 32 are adapted normally to receive and support between them shoes in inverted position with the heel portions of the uppers of the shoes in contact with the inner edges of the outer portions of the pins. For supporting the foreparts of the shoes there is provided a shoe-positioning member or toe rest 38 which consists in a wooden bar the ends of which are provided with projecting portions in the form of tenons 40 (Fig. 2) arranged for insertion in grooves in the end frame members 24 to locate the toe rest relatively to the pins 32. As shown in Fig. 1, the end frame members 24 are provided with a plurality of pairs of oppositely disposed grooves 42, 44 and 46 spaced lengthwise of the pins 32. The grooves 42 are so located that the toe rest 38 when positioned therein will engage with the foreparts of shoes of a range of the larger sizes, such as in ens shoes, carried upon the rack in inverted position. The grooves 44 are so located that when the toe rest 38 is located therein it will support the foreparts of shoes of a range of the smaller sizes, such as boys shoes, similarly carried. The grooves 46 are so arranged that they will locate the toe rest 38 in position to act as a heel stop for shoes carried upright upon the pins.

In order to provide for the proper carrying of the foreparts of shoes of extreme sizes of a range of sizes, the toe rest is so constructed that its position can be selectively varied to increase the range of adjustment in each of the positions in which it is located by the various sets of grooves. To this end, and as best shown in Fig. 2, the tenons 40 are offset from the center line CC of the toe rest so that the central por tion of the upper surface of the toe rest, when located in a pair of grooves, will be positioned outwardly or inwardly along the pins with relation to the grooves, depending upon which side of the toe rest is posi' tioned forwardly of the grooves. This will be clear from an inspection of Fig. 3 in which full lines indicate the toe rest 38 in its forward position and dotted lines indicate the toe rest in its rearward position. This adjustment is made merely by turning the toe rest end for end and inserting the tenons 40 in one of the pairs of grooves. It should be noticed that the upper surface of the toe rest 38 is symmetrical with respect to the center line thereof and consequently the shape of the effective shoe-engaging portion of the surface is not changed by the adjustment of the toe rest.

In the use of the rack the toe rest is located in one of the sets of grooves, for example the grooves 42, with the effective shoe-supporting portion of the toe rest extending outwardly as illustrated by the full lines in Fig. 3. As shown, the toe rest operates to support the forepart of shoes of small sizes, such as shoe 48, the heel portion of which is supported by outer ends of the shoe-supporting members or pins 32. In this position the toe rest 38 engages the forepart of the shoe rearwardly of the high part of the toe portion thereof in such manner that there will be no likelihood of injury to the toe portion through engagement with the toe rest. When it is desired to carry shoes of larger sizes in the same range of sizes, the toe rest is turned end for end, the tenons 40 are located in the same pair of grooves 42 and the toe rest will take the position shown by the dotted lines 38. In this position the toe rest will support shoes of the larger sizes of the same range of sizes. such as a shoe indicated by reference character 50, likewise without likelihood of injuring the toe portion of the shoe. Similarly, the toe rest can be positioned in the grooves 44 selectively to locate the toe rest for supporting shoes of the larger or of the smaller sizes of another range of sizes of shoes.

It should be noted that while the extent of adjustment obtainable by turning the too rest end for end in the same pair of grooves is not great, it is sufiicient to permit the location of the toe rest in position to avoid engagement of the toe rest with the high parts of the toes of shoes of unusual styles. Thus, by adjusting the toe rest forwardly or rearwardly along the pins it is possible so to locate the toe rest in position to support the foreparts of shoes of widely different sizes and styles in such manner that the likelihood of injury to the delicate portions of the toes of the shoes by contact with the toe rest is practically eliminated.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A shoe rack comprising a frame, shoesupporting members, and a toe rest having means ofiset from the center line of the toe rest and co-operable with the frame for selectively locating the toe rest along the shoesupporting members in position to support shoes of the larger sizes of a range of sizes or in position to support shoes of the smaller sizes of the range of sizes.

2. A rack for carrying shoes of different sizes comprising shoe-supporting members,

'a toe rest extending across the supporting members, and means for locating the toe rest along the supporting members in position to support the foreparts of shoes, the locating means comprising projections on the toe rest offset from the center line thereof selectivey to locate the toe rest in position to supportthe foreparts of smaller shoes or in position to support the foreparts of larger shoes.

3. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of shoe-supporting pins, frame members having a pair of grooves therein, and a shoe-positioning member having projecting portions for co-operation with the grooves to locate said member along the pins in positions for engaging andsupporting the foreparts of shoes, said projecting portions being ofiset from the center line of the positioning memher so that the shoe-engaging portions of the positioning member can be located selectively in each of said positions to support shoes of larger sizes or in position to support shoes of smaller sizes.

4. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of members for engaging and supporting the heel ends of shoes, a positioning member extending across the shoe-supporting member and comprising a bar the ends of which are provided with tenons offset from the center line of the bar, and means for engaging the tenons to locate the bar in position relatively to the shoe-supporting members, the construction and arrangement being such that the bar can be turned end for end to place the effective shoe-engaging portion of the bar in position to support shoes of larger sizes or in position to support shoes of smaller sizes.

5. A shoe rack comprising a plurality of shoe-supporting members, a frame having a pair of grooves therein, a toe rest comprising a bar the ends of which are provided with tenons for engaging the grooves to locate the bar in position relatively to the shoe-supporting members, the tenons being oflsetvfrom the centerline of the bar so that the bar can be located in the grooves selectively'to support shoes of larger sizes or to support shoes of smaller sizes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. I

HARVEY L. GLIDDEN. 

